How to use IKEA’s furniture take-back service

Today, IKEA announced it's launching a new initiative to help recycle furniture. Here's how it all works.

Good news for Sydney-siders today, IKEA has launched the city's very first furniture "take-back" service. IKEA Tempe will now take back old and used furniture, a far more sustainable option than residents taking used furniture to the tip.

“With the launch of our Circular Living Pop-up Store and IKEA Tempe Take-Back Service, we want to make it easier than ever for Australians to live the sustainable life they desire,” said Kate Ringvall, Sustainability Manager at IKEA Australia.

Great news all round. So how does it work? Well, first things first, your unwanted furniture needs to be from IKEA. At this stage, IKEA Tempe will only accept old furniture that was actually originally bought from IKEA. There is a form available online here that you'll need to fill out. You need one form per item of furniture, and you'll need to include five photos per form. You then submit the form back to IKEA for assessment. IKEA needs to check whether the item is in decent enough condition to be accepted back. Sorry, your furniture probably won't qualify if it's covered in wine stains or children's crayon.

If your furniture qualifies for take-back, you'll be offered a price for the furniture – no, you're not just doing this because recycling is important, you're going to get a nifty little IKEA voucher for your trouble. And IKEA doesn't seem to be making a profit from your old goods; the old pieces of furniture will be put up for sale at IKEA Tempe for the same value as the voucher it was exchanged for.

So if you've got some old and unwanted IKEA bits and bobs floating around, you can now turn these into shopping vouchers instead of continuing to clutter up your home. And on the flip side, if you're in the market for new furniture but your budget is a bit tight, Tempe will now sell a range of preowned and more budget-friendly IKEA options.

In addition to the take-back initiative, IKEA is unveiling its first ever Circular Living Pop-Up store at Tempe, which will be open for eight weeks.

The pop-up store is designed to give shoppers a look into the recyclable and renewable materials that make up their favourite IKEA products. From turning plastic PET bottles into KUNGSBACKA kitchen cabinetry, to leftover glass into the IKEA PS 2017 vase, the pop-up will showcase the unique stories behind IKEA's pieces. It will also educate shoppers on the value of the circular economy through sustainability workshops.

“IKEA is focused on ensuring all our products are designed from the very beginning with the intention to be repaired, reused, resold and eventually recycled. In fact, 60% of our range is currently based on renewable materials. Our utmost priority is to generate as little waste as possible, but we can’t do it alone – it takes government, business, industry and the entire community to make a difference,” said Kate Ringvall.

The new Tempe scheme joins existing IKEA programs that take-back sofas, mattresses, batteries and light bulbs in stores across Australia.

Image: Shutterstock

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